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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. kick — in football
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bear — the animal
  5. row — a line
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. press — a publisher
  9. charge — a price
  10. press — newspapers
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. charge — electricity
  13. squash — the sport
  14. root — the cause
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. row — to paddle
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. charge — in control
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bear — the animal
  23. press — to push
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com